Other Wildlife
Use this page to record sightings of species other than birds that may be of interest to others. Please note that records submitted to this website will be shared with the RSPB Croydon Local Group and may also be submittted to the London Natural History Society wildlife recorders. Do not post records on this website unless you are happy for them to be shared with the other organisations mentioned here. Bird sightings can be viewed and reported on the Latest News page. Regular contributors identified below by only initials are - John Birkett (JB), Gavin Hawgood (GH),John Hughes (JAH), Mike Netherwood (MJN), Alan Pearson (AJP) and John Watson (JW). July 2015 * Awaiting records June 2015 * 30th - South Norwood Country Park: Male Stag Beetle moribund on path, Black-tailed Skimmer, Emperor Dragonfly, many Comma, Small Tortishell and Meadow Brown. (JAH/DM) * 29th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) pm: Large Skipper (2), Large White (2), Small White (3), Holly Blue (5), Small Tortoiseshell (2), Speckled Wood (1), Marbled White (1) - all attracted to flowering Greater Knapweed along rlwy embankment (GH) * 27th - South Norwood Lake mid am: Large Skippers & Ringlets out in force, plus male Broad-bodied Chaser (GH per JW) * 24th - Hutchinsons and Chapel Bank reserves: (11:30 - 15:30). Butterflies on the wing today: Marbled White and Ringlet out in force, "Smessex" Skipper also new for the year. Also seen Brimstone, Small Blue (c8), Common Blue, Comma (c5), Small Tortoiseshell (3), Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Large Skipper. (John Parish). * 24th - Riddlesdown: 7-spot ladybird. Rather worrying that this is probably my first sighting this year! (JB) * 23rd - Sanderstead: Magpie moth in garden. (JB) * 19th - Lloyd Park (am): Two male Emperor Dragonflies interacting over one of the fields and a male Broad-bodied Chaser at the pond. Small group of the long-horned moth Nemophora degeerella dancing. Galls of the midge Dasineura fraxini found on Ash leaves. Probably the best number ever of Pyramidal Orchid spikes coming into bloom in the usual small patch and Greater Yellow Rattle more widespread in the park than ever this year. (John Parish) * 17th - South Norwood Country Park: Green Hairstreak. (JAH) * 16th - South Norwood Country Park: Dead Common Shrew and several Hairy Shieldbugs (Dolycoris baccarum) along path through Moat Field. (DM) * 12th - Lloyd Park (am): Butterflies:- Common Blue, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown (a few, my first of year), Speckled Wood, Large Skipper (my first of the year at this site, but seen at Chipstead on 7th June). Also Bee Orchid in usual area. (John Parish) * 12th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) late am: freshly dead male Stag beetle (5cm long, excluding antlers), plus well camouflaged male crab spider Misumena vatia on nettle leaf (GH) * 12th - South Norwood Lake: Terrapin - first sighting here since 1999 (JW) * 11th - South Norwood Country Park: Painted Lady and Cinnabar Moth (both firsts for year for site). (JAH/DM) * 8th - Coulsdon: pair of large red damselflies mating in a Mead Way garden. (JB) * 5th - Melville Avenue, S. Croydon: nice female Puss Moth found on pavement (AJP) * 4th - South Norwood Lake: Broad-bodied chaser.(JW) * 4th - Hutchinsons Bank (pm): Butterflies - Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Brimstone, Small Blue, Common Blue, Peacock, Painted Lady, Speckled Wood, Small Heath, Glanville Fritillary, Dingy Skipper. Also a Slow Worm. At least 30 Spikes of Man Orchid on Chapel Bank. (John Parish) * 3rd - Lloyd Park: Insects this pm: Butterflies - Brimstone, Large White, Common Blue, Small Copper, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood. Dragonflies - Broad-bodied Chaser, Large Red Damselfly, Azure Damselfly. Sawfly - 'Tenthredo brevicornis'. Shieldbug - Dock Bug ('Coreus marginatus'). (John Parish) May 2015 * 27th - Addington Hills: Roe Deer - three separate (well-spaced) sightings of single does during the morning. (John Parish) * 27th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): pair of mating large red damselflies, pair of newts in pond. JB) * 25th - Park Hill Park (09:00): Painted Lady butterfly, in fine condition. (John Parish) * 23rd - Hutchinsons Bank Reserve: Butterflies recorded today in generally dull conditions were:- Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Small Blue, Peacock, Glanville Fritillary (about 5 seen today but, on the basis of transect counts in better conditions earlier in the week, Martin Wills considers 50 to 60 to be present!), Small Heath, Speckled Wood and Dingy Skipper. Also a handsome Wasp Beetle. (John Parish) * 22nd - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Newts in garden pond - first seen this year.(JB) * 21st - Mead Way, Coulsdon: A frog took up residence in a minute garden pond within an hour of overgrown vegetation being removed. (JB) * 20th - Shirley (Freshfields) 8pm: young Badger in long grass of neighbouring front garden (GH per Sheila Mason) * 18th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 9pm: 1 or 2 Common & 1 Soprano Pipistrelle foraging along rlwy embankment (GH) * 16th - Hutchinsons Bank & Chapel Bank Reserves: Butterflies today:- Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Green Hairstreak, Holly Blue, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Peacock, Comma, Glanville Fritillary, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper. Also two Common Lizards and a Slow Worm, the latter missing a section from the tip of its tail but nevertheless able to move forward or backwards with equal speed. (John Parish) * 14th - Farthing Downs: 2 roe deer, fox, molehills, rabbits.(JB & SH) * 14th - Kings Wood: fox, molehills. (JB & SH) * 13th - Lloyd Park. 09:00: Roebuck; Pygmy Shrew (deceased). (John Parish) * 10th - Sanderstead Plantation: Badger running up path in front of me about 04:20. (JB) * 10th - Selsdon Park: roe deer. (JB) * 10th - Riddlesdown: At least 6 roe deer in three groups of two. (JB) * 10th - Kings Wood: fresh molehills. (JB) * 6th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 2pm: Wood mouse feeding on scraps for 30 mins in broad daylight (GH) * 6th - Hutchinsons Bank & Chapel Bank Reserves: During brief sunny intervals at HB this am:- Green-veined White, Dingy Skipper & Grizzled Skipper butterfies. At CB, a Common Lizard and numerous Roman Snails. Flowers in bloom include Wild Strawberry (abundant), Herb Robert, Herb Bennet, Crosswort, Primrose, Cowslip, Goldilocks Buttercup, Moschatel, Yellow Archangel, Wood Spurge, Sweet Woodruff, first Red Campion, massed Common Twayblade (at CB - first orchids of the season). (John Parish) * 4th - Lloyd Park: butterflies on the wing this am: Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Peacock, Speckled Wood. (John Parish) * 4th - Selsdon Park: young roebuck. (JB) April 2015 * 28th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 1pm: Orange Tip (1m), Small White (3), Holly Blue (c15), Speckled Wood (1) (GH) * 27th - South Norwood Lake 9am: 5 Speckled Wood butterflies (GH per JW) * 25th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 3pm: Wood mouse feeding on scraps in garden (GH) * 24th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 3pm: Small White (1), Holly Blue (6), Comma (1), Peacock (1) & Speckled Wood (1) (GH) * 22nd - South Norwood Country Park: Common Pipistrelle(45kHz), Daubenton, Noctule (Ernie Thomason) * 21st - Grange Park (Old Coulsdon): Male Brimstone, Small White Butterfly.(Ernie Thomason) * 20th - Coulsdon Memorial Ground: Holly Blue, Male Brimstone (Ernest Thomason) * 18th - Selsdon (Markfield): Hedgehog (first there in 45 years!) feeding on peanuts beside a fox which left when a badger arrived. (Ted Forsyth) * 18th - Addington Hills: Bat Group check of the approx. 100 bat boxes in place produced 17 roosting Brown Long-eared Bats and a single Noctule. The long-eared obviously like company, all 17 being contained in just three boxes (3, 5 and 8 respectively to a box). (John Parish). * 17th - South Norwood Country Park: Common Pipistrelle(45kHz), Daubenton, Noctule & Poss Leisler's bats (Friends of South Norwood Country Park walk) * 17th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Holly blue in garden. (JB) * 15th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 2-3pm: Large White (1m), Small White (1), Small Tortoiseshell (1), Holly Blue (30+) butterflies, plus several Hawthorn Shieldbugs through (GH) * 15th - South Norwood Country Park: Orange-tip, Green-veined White, 2 Peacock, Small Tortishell, Comma, 4 Speckled Wood. (JAH/DM) * 14th - Hutchinsons Bank: Butterflies passing during workday:- Orange Tip, Brimstone, Holly Blue, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Speckled Wood. (John Parish) * 14th - Coulsdon (Mead Way): bee fly, buff-tailed bumblebee, prob tree bee, comma, male orange tip, several brimstones, peacock and large white. (JB) * 14th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 2-3pm: Small White (1), Peacock (1) & Holly Blue (<20) butterflies through (GH) * 12th - Hutchinsons Bank/Chapel Bank LWT Reserves (11:00 - !3:00). Roe Deer, Rabbit, Grey Squirrel, Common Lizard (all singletons). Butterflies: Brimstone (17No, all but 2 being males), Orange Tip (2No, both males), Peacock (24No), Small Tortoiseshell (17No), Comma (7No), Peacock (24No). Masses of Bee-Flies of various colours and sizes, many using that fearsome proboscis to take nectar from Primrose or Dog Violet flowers (some individuals visiting both plants apparently at random so not seeking out suitable flowers by colour). Other flowers in bloom included Cowslip, Dogs Mercury, Wood Spurge, Wood Anemone, Wild Strawberry. (John Parish) * 12th - Selsdon Park GC: pair of roe deer - different area from those seen on 8th. (JB) * 10th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 2pm: 1 Small White & 1 Peacock butterfly through, plus several foraging female Hairy-footed Flower Bees (GH) * 9th - Grange Park (Old Coulsdon): 4pm: Male Brimstone (Ernest Thomason) * 9th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 2pm: 2 male Brimstone & 4 Holly Blue butterflies through (GH) * 8th - Hutchinsons Bank NR: Common Shrew and 2 Common Lizards disturbed while strimming the verges of the bridleway. 4 Brimstone, 1 Green-veined White, 3 Peacock and 1 Comma butterflies seen in vicinity. Horribly mangy Fox on top path. (John Parish) * 8th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 2pm: 2 male Brimstones & 1 Peacock butterfly through SE (GH) * 8th - Sanderstead (Briton Hill Road): Brimstone and peacock butterflies in garden. Also 1 7-spot ladybird (must report it to Big Spring Watch), queen buff-tailed bumblebee, several pond skaters and an unidentified small bee. At least two bee flies. (JB) * 8th - Selsdon Park: male and female roe deer.(JB) * 7th - Grange Park (Old Coulsdon): 4pm: Male Brimstone (Ernest Thomason) * 7th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 3pm: Male Brimstone foraging in back garden for at least 10 mins (GH) * 7th - Purley Beeches: 2 brimstone butterflies, 1 small tortoiseshell.(JB) * 6th - Sanderstead: At last, first Brimstone butterfly in our garden this year. Then another three in Briton Hill Road, two in Church Way and one in cemetery - all males. (JB) * 6th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 2pm: Several Peacock butterflies flying along rlwy embankment (GH) * 3rd - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 9pm: Several Common & a probable "Soprano" Pipistrelle feeding along railway embankment in drizzly conditions (GH) March 2015 * 31st - Hutchinsons Bank, late am : On a sheltered stretch of the nature trail, Bee-fly and Common Lizard among the primrose blooms and three or four Brimstone butterflies passing by in the sunshine. (John Parish) * 26th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 7.30pm: Several Common Pipistrelles feeding along railway embankment (GH) * 18th - South Norwood Lake mid am: 2 queen Buff-tailed Bumblebees nest searching (GH per JW) * 17th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 7pm: Common Pipistrelle foraging along railway embankment (GH) * 7th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 1pm: Queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee foraging in garden (GH) * 6th - South Norwood Country Park: First butterfly of the year, probably a peacock.(JB) February 2015 * 27th - South Norwood (Pittville Gdns) 1pm: Red Admiral quartering the back garden, then S (GH) January 2015 * 19th - South Norwood Lake 8.30am: single Buff-tailed bumblebee worker (no pollen sacs) feeding on Mahonia (GH per JW) * 13th - South Norwood Lake 9am: several Buff-tailed bumblebees feeding on Mahonia (GH per JW) Archived Other Wildlife Records Other Wildlife 2014 Other Wildlife 2013 Other Wildlife 2012 [[Archived Records|'Full Archive']]